God Doesn't Want Your "Sacrifices"...
He Wants Your Obedience!
by Sandy Simpson, 1/26/04

Note: All verses in NIV unless otherwise indicated.


1 Samuel 15:22  But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

God provided the ultimate (1 Jn. 2:2), one time only (Heb. 10:10), all encompassing (Heb. 9:26), eternal (Heb. 10:14) Sacrifice for sins in His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ at Calvary. This Sacrifice cannot be duplicated (Heb. 10:12), and no other sacrifice will atone for sin, and in fact never could!

John 14:6  Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Acts 4:12  Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
Blood is required to atone for sin, but the blood of animals was not enough.
Hebrews 10:4  because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
It took the physical death of the One and Only Son of God, of God Himself, to pay the penalty (Rev. 5:9) for sin and provide us a way to be reconciled to the Father.
Colossians 1:22  But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—
There is no other way but the One Way.  But atonement for sin is not enough for forgiveness of sin.  The gift of atonement is in place through Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, but there is more to this story. Let me explain how the process works.

Man sinned and is desperately wicked and sinful by nature (Jer. 17:9, Rom. 5:14).  He cannot save himself (Acts. 14:12) nor can he justify himself before the Father (Rom. 5:18).  In the Old Testament God forgave sins based on the sacrifice of animals by a high priest in the Tabernacle or Temple (Heb. 13:11) and the repentance of those who sinned (Is. 59:20, Eze. 18:30).  This was a foreshadowing of the "better hope" (Heb. 7:19), "better promises" (Heb. 8:6) and "better covenant"  (Heb. 7:22) to come in Jesus Christ.  When Jesus Christ was crucified He became High Priest and Sacrifice all in one, and He took that before the Father Who accepted it for all eternity  (Heb. 10:12).  The veil was ripped in two from top to bottom (Matt. 27;51), meaning God tore it, thereby providing a way into the Holy of Holies through Jesus Christ the High Priest and Sacrifice (Heb. 10:19).  The Holy Spirit convicts men of their sin (John 16:8) and opens their blind eyes (Jn. 9:39, Is. 42:7, Rev. 3:18) to their condition before God (Rom. 3:23).  If a person repents (Acts 3:19) and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ  (Acts 16:31. Rom. 10:9), the Holy Spirit indwells that person (Acts 2:38, Eph. 1:13, 1 Cor. 12:13).  He is the Author and Finisher of the faith (Heb. 12:2) of believing Christians as they continue to obey the Lord (1 Jn. 2:3, 3:24) and add to their faith (Jude 1:20, 2 Pet. 1:5).

Now, I'm sure you have no problem with what I have said so far.  If you do, you had better study all these verses and hundreds more like them carefully.  But you may be shocked if I say that God's process of salvation requires a response from us.  He has provided the only Way (Jn. 14:6), He provides the conviction (John 16:8), He opens the eyes (Jn. 9:39, Is. 42:7, Rev. 3:18).  But our part in the process is that WE MUST RESPOND!  Our response is to "Admit, Commit and Submit".  We must repent and admit we are sinners (1 Jn. 1:8-9), and more importantly we must turn away from sin with the help of the Lord (2 Tim. 2:19).  We must commit and believe (Acts 16:31, Rom. 10:9-10) that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, that He is the God-man (1 Jn. 4:2, 15) Who is the only One Who can save us.  We must then obey by submitting (James 4:7, Heb. 12:9) to God and His revelation through the written Word (1 Jn. 4:6, Luke 11:28, 2 Thes. 2:15) and living obedience to Him (1 Jn. 2:3, 3:24, 5:3, 2 Jn. 1:6).

Now if you are an extreme Calvinist or extreme Arminian you are already getting your hackles up at what I have stated thus far.  But let me step through it to see where we disagree.

Do you agree that we must repent of our sins to be saved?

1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (KJV)
Acts 2:38  And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (ASV)
Acts 3:19  Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord; (ASV)
Mark 1:15  "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (NIV)
Acts 17:30  Now while it is true that God has overlooked the days of ignorance he now commands all men everywhere to repent. (Phil)
Do you agree that we must believe (put our faith in, commit to) the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord and accept and believe His atoning sacrifice for sin?
Acts 16:31  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house. (ASV)
Romans 10:9-10  because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved: (ASV)
Romans 10:10  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (NIV)
Do you agree that we must obey the Lord or else be in danger of His judgment?  Do you agree that those who love the Lord obey His commands, and those who do not obey His commands prove they do not love Him?
James 4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (KJV)
Hebrews 12:9  Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! (NIV)
1 John 2:3  We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.
1 John 3:24  Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
1 John 5:3  This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,
2 John 1:6  And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. (NIV)
1 John 2:4  The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
God's perfect plan was to redeem us through His Son, Jesus Christ, when we were incapable of redeeming ourselves.  He then convicts us of our sins and opens our blind eyes so that we can understand His plan.  But then we must move on to our response!  We must repent, believe and obey!
(1) God does not force us to repent, repent for us, nor can the One Triune Holy God repent of sin.

(2) God does not believe for us because we are the ones who must come to belief, not the self existent One, the "I Am" Who is the Object of belief.

(3) God does not obey for us for He is already obedient within Himself in Jesus Christ, but we must obey the Lord's commands.

It is on this basis that we can begin to understand that some people are not abiding by the "new covenant".  A covenant is between two people, as in a marriage vow.  It must be kept by both parties, and both parties must do their part.  God has done everything necessary to forgive our sins, past, present and future.  But He will not forgive our sins without repentance, belief and obedience.  Our sins may be forgiven in the past and present if we repent, but our sins of the future, though provided for eternally by the Atonement, are not forgiven until we repent, continue to believe (honor our commitment) and obey His commands.

God helps us in all aspects of the Christian life, but He does not force us or cause us against our will to repent, believe or obey.  He convicts us, disciplines us if we are truly His children, and reasons with us from His Word.  But we still have to make a conscious decision using our will to repent, believe and obey.

The last part is the sticking point for many "Christians".  They can admit, and they think they can commit, but they do not like the idea of having to submit to be saved.  The problem comes when they have decided to disobey God's Word in a continued way.  I call it "lifestyle sin".  I am not talking about "mistakes", or sins that we all commit each day and then repent of, asking the Lord to help us turn away from them.  We are talking about lifestyle sins of disobedience.  Adultery, homosexuality, lying, stealing, greed, false prophecy, false teachings against the core doctrines of the Faith (heresy), and any other idol that takes over people's lives that they are unwilling to crucify with Christ is a rebellious "lifestyle" sin.  These sins are those that will send people, even those who claim to be Christians, to hell.

Revelation 21:8  But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars— their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."
John wrote this to Christians, to the Church!  We all know that the unsaved are unbelieving!  But "Christians" can be unbelieving too.  They can put their faith in another Jesus.
2 Corinthians 11:4  For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.
Galatians 1:6-8  I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!
People who claim to be followers of Christ can believe in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:2  By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
What you believe is the most important thing about you.  If you believe in the real Lord Jesus Christ in repentance, committing yourself to Him and living in obedience to His will, then you will be saved. But if you believe in the Word-Faith "Jesus" who was merely an "anointed man" and is at your beck and call for healing, money, signs and wonders, then you cannot be saved because your faith is in the wrong "Jesus", the wrong "gospel".

Sacrifice or Obedience?

How can we believe that the sacrifice of our lives, in any way, shape or form, can compete with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ once for all?  I am not saying being zealous for the Lord, and especially for His Word and Will, are not good and holy things.  But the Lord does not want our works, our sweat, our strength, our plans, our programs, our schemes. He wants our obedience!  He doesn't want sacrifices because He has already paid the full price.  He wants us to submit to His commands and follow them.

Romans 6:16  Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey— whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?
Obedience leads to righteousness. Sacrifice without obedience is futile and useless.  Many so-called Christians make a big show of sacrificing for Jesus Christ in a multitude of ways, which I will demonstrate later.  But by their disobedience to the Word of God they prove they are not pleasing to the Lord, in fact are not even true believers.

Now, God does accept our bodies as living sacrifices to Him.

Romans 12:1  Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God— this is your spiritual act of worship.
He also accepts the "sacrifice" of our praise and works through faith.
Hebrews 13:15-16  Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise— the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
But that must be coupled with a correct belief system.
Hebrews 11:6  And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Colossians 1:10  And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
We are to hold on to sound doctrine and a right belief system, and grow in the knowledge of God which is impossible without the written Word of God.
Titus 1:9  He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
Titus 2:1  You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.
Yet the Bible warns us over and over again that a time would come when men would not put up with sound doctrine, but would teach and prophesy lies.
2 Timothy 4:3  For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
Is it possible for anyone to know the final salvation of any person?  No.  Only God knows that.  But we can judge people by their teachings, their prophecies, and the fruit of the Spirit in their lives.  If they do not teach according to the core doctrines of the Faith, we are to reject them as heretics after they have been admonished and do not repent.
Titus 3:10  A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
Examples Of Sacrifice Without Obedience

Now we are going to look at some real world examples of sacrifice without obedience.  When a "Christian" does not obey the Lord, especially in the areas of teaching the core doctrines, making true prophecies and the fruit of the Spirit, that person is by biblical definition a false teacher and heretic.  It is up to those who are faithful and obedient to the Lord and His Word to admonish and rebuke those who are teaching against the core doctrines of the Church as laid down by Jesus Christ and the Apostles, and if they remain unrepentant they are to be rejected, avoided and we are to warn others against what they are doing.  That is what we are doing in this article and on this web site.  Five of the most important doctrines of the Church, which we do separate over if they are not being taught and/or promoted by action, are these:

1. Theology - The Trinity: God is one "What" and three "Whos" with each "Who" possessing all the attributes of Deity and personality.
2. Christology - The Person of Jesus Christ: Jesus is 100% God and 100% man for all eternity.
3. Eschatology - The Second Coming: Jesus Christ is coming bodily to earth to rule and judge.
4. Soteriology - Salvation: It is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
5. Bibliology - The Scripture: It is entirely inerrant and sufficient for all Christian life.

The areas we will especially focus on in this expose will be the unbiblical and/or heretical doctrines of the following "Christian" leaders with regards to some of the key areas of Christology (Christ), Ecclesiology (Church), Anthropology (Man), Eschatology (Things To Come), Soteriology (Salvation), Pneumatology (Holy Spirit), Bibliology (Bible), Hamartiology (Sin), Satanology/Demonology (Our Adversary the Devil), and Theology Proper (The Living God). Highlighting is our own to illustrate the heresies involved.

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa sacrificed her life to feed the hungry and help the sick in India.  She is held up by many Christians as a shining example of what a Christian should be, and the Catholic church is in the process of making her a saint.  Many Christians never lay down their lives for the sick and hopeless the way she did.  But Mother Teresa was a heretic, did not preach the Gospel, and was universalist in her message.

Soteriology (Salvation) - Interfaithism

Indeed, in the years before she died, Mother Teresa attended several New Age conferences in which she was usually a featured speaker. In NEWS1020, "Gorbachev More Dangerous Than Ever, Part 1", and in NEWS1021, "Part 2", we covered the global conference of New Age and New World Order leaders for a week long conference in San Francisco. This conference was called in order to facilitate a smooth transition to the New World Order by the year 2000. The people attending read like a Who's Who List of key New World Order leaders. The only representative of the Roman Catholic Church was Mother Teresa. (http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/popeshiva.html)

Mother Teresa was very charitable; yet several months before she died, she made it clear that she only converted Hindus and Moslems to be better Hindus and Moslems; she sent those people to hell without Christ in the name of being charitable. (http://www.moriel.org/articles/sermons/sons_of_zadok.htm)

Soteriology (Salvation) - Universalism

Mother Theresa was on the cutting edge of this wider mercy doctrine. In a film entitled 'Mother Teresa', originally given in its world premiere at the United Nations 40th Anniversary celebration in 1985, she gave a familiar message of religious universalism: 'No colour, no religion, no nationality, should come between us.” Mother Theresa practiced today’s open Catholicism “I love all religions. ... If people become better Hindus, better Muslims, better Buddhists by our acts of love, then there is something else growing there.” She upheld that there are many ways to God': “All is God--Buddists, Hindus, Christians, etc., all have access to the same God.” (12/4/89 Time, pp. 11, 13) While we can agree to love all religions and people there is a vast difference as accepting them as valid. Mother Teresa told everyone no matter what their religion: “If in coming face to face with God we accept Him in our lives, then we are converting. We become a better Hindu, a better Muslim, a better Catholic, a better whatever we are. ... What God is in your mind you must accept” (from Mother Teresa: Her People and Her Work, by Desmond Doig, (Harper & Row, 1976), p.156)

Soteriology (Salvation) - More Than One Way

Mother Teresa of Calcutta was in a real sense one of the leaders in the cause for a dogmatic definition of Mary Co-redemptrix and Mediatrix of all graces. (http://www.moriel.org/discernment/catholicism/dogma_of_mary_co-redemptrix.htm)

Christology (Christ) - The Eucharist

It is beautiful to see the humility of Christ in his permanent state of humility in the tabernacle, where he has reduced himself to such a small particle of bread the priest can hold him in two fingers. (Mother Teresa, In The Shadow of the Heart, http://www.pawcreek.org/articles/endtimes/MarriageFromHell.htm)

Fruit Of The Spirit - Mishandling Of Finances

Mother Teresa was given, to our certain knowledge, many tens of millions of pounds. But she never built any hospitals. She claimed to have built almost 150 convents, for nuns joining her own order, in several countries. Was this where ordinary donors thought their money was going? Furthermore, she received some of this money from the Duvaliers, and from Mr Charles Keating of the notorious Lincoln Savings and Loan of California, and both these sources had acquired the money by - how shall I put it? - borrowing money from the poor and failing to give it back. (http://www.moriel.org/discernment/catholicism/why_mother_theresa_not_saint.htm)

Benny Hinn

Benny Hinn has allegedly built orphanages and goes all over the world to heal people of all types of disease and sickness including AIDS.  He gets people emotionally charged up in his events and talks about Jesus Christ, though he talks far more about the Holy Spirit.  He claims to be an anointed holy man of God, whom no one should judge or question.  He is a multimillionaire who lives and travels around the world in luxury.  He has a television show where he invites all types of "Christian" leaders on to interview them and get their endorsement for what he is doing.  He is probably the biggest name in Christendom today.  Yet when it comes to obedience to God, he is not even in the ballpark.

Christology (Christ) - Jesus Christ was not fully God

"He [Jesus] who is righteous by choice said, 'The only way I can stop sin is by Me becoming it. I can't just stop it by letting it touch Me; I and it must become one.' Hear this! He who is the nature of God became the nature of Satan where He became sin!" (Benny Hinn, TBN, 12/1/90).

"Had He (Jesus) not offered Himself through the Holy Ghost, He would not be accepted in the eyes of God the Father. Nor would He have endured the sufferings of the cross. Had He not presented Himself through the Holy Ghost, His blood would not have remained pure and spotless. And let me add this: Had the Holy Spirit not been with Jesus, He would have sinned." (Benny Hinn, Good Morning Holy Spirit, (Word, 1991) p.135)

"You know one of these days we may show you what happened in our church in Orlando when I had the church in Florida.  I was preaching, I was actually ministering on a Sunday night to the sick when suddenly the people began screaming as the Lord's face appeared on the balcony.  We have it on video. The Lord's face appeared on the balcony  and what was so remarkable is right before that the same face appeared in the children's church on a blackboard. And a little child sitting there with crippled legs was healed instantly.  The teacher comes running down from the balcony screaming and shouting, the kids are all behind her, telling us how the Lord had appeared up there.  And when she came running down that's when the face of the Lord appeared in the main sanctuary.  She was screaming, we all began screaming, and for eight weeks the Lord's face sit on that balcony, on the wall.  And what was even more remarkable is that night, that Sunday night service when I was having a healing service, as I was speaking the mouth was moving.  The mouth ... the Lord's face was on the wall and you could see the mouth moving as I was speaking.  And we thought, it was maybe, you know, it had to do with the lights, you know just how we are all human beings, we're like Thomas sometimes who say "Is this for real"?  And, and, and the next day, Monday, the lights were all out ... it was still there!  Eight weeks later it was still there." (Benny Hinn, This Is Your Day, April 21, 2000)

"Benny Hinn speaks of many other experiences given over the TBN network. For example, he said that the Lord was in front of him and when he moved his arm so did Jesus. When he moved his foot so did Jesus. This continued until they walked together and they merged becoming one. Incredible! This "Christianity" is more at home with New Age Occultic experience than with the Christ of the Bible!" (Benny Hinn,  Personal testimony, July 1987 audio # A071987, Orlando Christian Center as cited in "Touch, Topple, Tilt" by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason, P.O. 683, Wahiawa HI 96786)

Anthropology (Man) - We Are Divine

"When one is born again by faith in Jesus, he is given a new spirit man that wasn't there before--a spirit man that is divine in nature and God-like" (Benny Hinn, Our Position in Christ [sermon tape]).

"Though we are not Almighty God Himself, nevertheless, we are now divine" (Benny Hinn, 12/1/90, TBN)

"Christians are "Little Messiah's and "little gods" on the earth. Thus [Encouraging the audience]...say "I am a God-man....This spirit-man within me is a God-man..." say "I'm born of heaven-a God-man. I'm a God man. I am a sample of Jesus. I'm a super being. Say it! Say it! Who's a super being? "I walk in the realm of the supernatural." Say it!...You want to prosper? Money will be falling on you from left, right and centre. God will begin to prosper you, for money always follows righteousness....Say after me, "everything I ever want is in me already." (Benny Hinn, TBN, 1990)

"I am a 'little messiah' walking the earth" (Benny Hinn, Praise-a-Thon" on TBN, November 6, 1990).

"Are you ready for some real revelation knowledge....you are god" (Benny Hinn, "Our Position In Christ", tape #
AO31190-1)

Benny Hinn said: "This spirit-man within me is a God-man. Say after me, he’s born of heaven, he’s a super-being…Say I’m born of heaven - God-man. I’m a God-man. I’m a sample of Jesus. I’m a super being. Say it! Say it! Who’s a super being? I walk in the realm of the supernatural. Get the spirit-man renewed…when he’s strong, he’ll hold off sickness…you want to prosper? Money will be falling on you from left, right and center. God will begin to prosper you, for money always follows righteousness…Say after me, I hold my destiny." ("Joel’s Army," Jewel van der Merwe, Discernment Ministries)

"Don't tell me you have Jesus. You ARE everything He was, and everything He is and shall be." (Benny Hinn,
TBN)

Pneumatology (Holy Spirit) - The Spirit as a force that can be transferred at will

" . . . the anointing is dependent upon my words. God will not move unless I say it. Why? because He has made us coworkers with Him. He set things up that way." (Benny Hinn, The Anointing. Nashville: Thomas Nelson. 1992. 82.)

" . . . the anointing increases. He gives you a little and watches you. Then He gives you more." (Benny Hinn, The Anointing. Nashville: Thomas Nelson. 1992. 81.)

I recently heard (Benny Hinn) say "when we breathe out we breathe ourselves out and when we breathe in we breathe in the Spirit".(E-Mail, Ed Tarkowski, Fri, 11 Jul 1997 02:09:43 -0600)

"God sent Jesus as an example to see if we could retain and maintain the Holy Spirit in human flesh." (Benny Hinn as observed by Ed Tarkowski in an e-mail Wed, 23 Jul 1997 23:02:03)

Bibliology (Bible) - Twisting of Scripture

Poverty comes from Hell. Prosperity comes from Heaven. Adam had complete dominion over the earth and all it contains. A. Adam could fly like a bird. B. Adam could swim underwater and breathe like a fish. Adam went to the moon. Adam walked on water. Adam was a super being, He was the first superman that lived. Adam had dominion over the sun, moon & stars. Christians do not have Christ in their hearts. Sow a big seed, when you confess it, you are activating the supernatural forces of God. (Benny Hinn, Praise-a-thon (TBN), recorded November 1990)

(1) Never, ever, ever go to the Lord and say, 'If it be thy will';
(2) No Christian should ever be sick;
(3) We Christians possess 'power in our mouths' to heal or kill just as witches possess it;
(4) Job tapped into the negative side of the faith force by a negative confession;
(5) Christ 'became one with the nature of Satan' and was 'born again' in hell;
(6) Christ would have sinned without the Holy Spirit and would have remained in the grave 'if the Holy Ghost had changed His mind about raising Him from the dead' [Jesus said, 'I have power to lay down my life and I have power to take it again' (Jn 10:18) for He is God];
(7) We are 'little gods' and even part of God with all the power of God; and
(8) We are 'little messiahs,' everything that Jesus ever was."
[Adapted and/or excerpted by permission from the 2/94 The Berean Call (P.O. Box 7019, Bend, OR 97708, and from a 1992 Media Spotlight Special Report (P.O. Box 290, Redmond, WA 98073).]

Satanology/Demonology (Our Adversary the Devil) - False Teachings On Satan

"Do you know that every unbeliever is filled with a demon spirit?" (Good Morning Holy Spirit, (Benny Hinn, Word, 1991) p.146)

"... I'm gonna read one Scripture, and then I'm gonna preach and the devil is gonna drop dead ..." (Benny Hinn,
tape of crusade)

Theology Proper (The Living God) - God Has A Body And Is Tri-Tritheistic

"What was the appearance of God the Father? Like that of a man...God has the likeness of fingers and hands and a face." (Good Morning Holy Spirit, (Benny Hinn, Word, 1991) p. 82)

"What does God the Father look like? Although I've never seen Him, I believe - as with the Holy Spirit - He looks like Jesus looked on earth." (Benny Hinn, Good Morning Holy Spirit, (Word, 1991) p.87)

God has 9 parts (tri-theistic).  A. God has a body, soul and spirit.  B. Jesus has a body, soul and spirit.  C. Holy Spirit has a body, soul and spirit. (Benny Hinn, Benny Hinn broadcast, recorded 10/13/90)  (NOTE: Allegedly Hinn later recanted this ascertion, but his view of the Godhead is still unclear.)

Lying Stories - False Dead Raising

"... I was in Ghana recently preaching one night, they brought a man, and this man was put on the platform, and he was dead, the man was dead.  And it was a very scary thing, because nobody told me he was dead ... suddenly the people went wild ... behind my back the man was getting up and moving ..."  (Later) "I was in Ghana just recently where half a million people showed up and a man was raised from the dead on the platform, that's a fact people." (Later) "I would not limit God, God can raise the dead, absolutely. I have not seen it, in that one case we did hear about it."  Read this article called "Benny Hinn Claims "A Dead Man Raised" In Ghana" (You need Internet Explorer to hear this file. Go to this page, read the instructions, then click on "Benny Hinn Fabricating Stories Of Miracles!").

Necromancy - Talking To Dead People And Getting Anointing From Dead Bodies

Hinn revealed that he periodically visits (Kathryn) Kuhlman's grave (click here for a photo of her grave site) and that he is one of the few with a key to gain access to it. He also visits Aimee (McPherson's) grave (click here for photos of her grave site), where he says: "I felt a terrific anointing ... I was shaking all over ... trembling under the power of God ... `Dear God,' I said, `I feel the anointing.' ... I believe the anointing has lingered over Aimee's body." (Benny Hinn, April 7, 1991 sermon)

False Prophecies - Just A Few

"The Spirit tells me - Fidel Castro will die - in the 90's. Oooh my! Some will try to kill him and they will not succeed. But there will come a change in his physical health, and he will not stay in power, and Cuba will be visited of God." (Benny Hinn, Orlando Christian Center, Dec. 31st, 1989,
http://op.50megs.com/ditc/BENNY-HINN-ON-CASTRO-DYING.mp3)

"The Lord also tells me to tell you in the mid 90's, about '94-'95, no later than that, God will destroy the
homosexual community of America. [audience applauds] But He will not destroy it - with what many minds have thought Him to be, He will destroy it with fire. And many will turn and be saved, and many will rebel and be
destroyed." (Benny Hinn, Orlando Christian Center, Dec. 31st, 1989, http://op.50megs.com/ditc/BENNY-HINN-HOMOSEXUALS.mp3)

"The hour is urgent. Many of you have known me for many years. But I am telling you right now, things I haven't said years 'n years 'n years ago. I believe - here this, hear this! I believe, that Jesus, God's Son, is about to appear physically, in meetings and to believers around the world, to wake us up! He appeared after His resurrection and He is about to appear before His second coming! You know a prophetess sent me a word through my wife, right here, and she said 'Tell your husband that Jesus is go'n to physically appear in his meetings.' I am expecting to see, I am telling you that - I feel it's going to happen. I, I, I'm, I'm careful in how I am saying it now, because I know the people in Kenya are listening. I know deep in my soul, something supernatural is going to happen in Nai - in Nairobi Kenya. I feel that. I may very well come back, and you and Jan are coming, to - Paul and Jan are coming to Nairobi with me, but Paul, we may very well come back with footage of Jesus on the platform! You know that the Lord appeared in Romania recently, and there's a video of it? Where the Lord appeared in the back of a church and you see him on video walking down the isle? Yeah! Paul do you remember when I came on TBN years ago and showed you a clip of the Lord appearing in our church in Orlando, on the balcony on the wall? Yeah. You, you remember that? [Paul Crouch] Very well, I saw it! [Benny Hinn] That was '80, 80 something, '86, what - whatever. You know I always wondered why the Lord, why did He do that? Do you know why, now I look back? That was the beginning of the greatest move of God in our church. Because '83, '84, and '85 were horrible years for me, horrible years. Eighty-six the blessings of God began, but they began with a - with this manifestation of the Lord's face on, on the balcony, that stayed for eight weeks. Eight solid weeks! The Lord has done this in the past, but He is about to do it again, now hear this, I am prophesying this! Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is about to appear physically in some churches, and some meetings, and to many of His people, for one reason - to tell you He is about to show up! To Wake Up! Jesus is coming saints! You have held
back from the Lord in the past, don't you dare do it now. The day will come you'll stand before Him and give an
answer. How dare we not give to God. How dare we hold back." Benny Hinn, TBN Praise-a-thon, April 2nd, 2000, http://op.50megs.com/benny-hinn.wav)

Kenneth Copeland

Kenneth Copeland has a worldwide TV ministry and his logo claims "Jesus Is Lord".  He supports many ministries like that of Reinhard Bonnke and claims to help people to "confess" their dreams into reality.  But Kenneth Copeland is a heretic in a long line of heretics of the worst kind, and continues to teach heresy and make false prophecies till today.  His lack of obedience to the Word of God is leading him and his followers straight to hell.

Christology (Christ) - Jesus Christ Was Less Than God

"Jesus is no longer the only begotten Son of God" (Kenneth Copeland, NOW WE ARE IN CHRIST JESUS (Ft. Worth, TX: Kenneth Copeland Ministries, 1980), 24.)

"Don't be disturbed when people accuse you of thinking you're God. The more you get to be like Me, the more they're going to think that way of you. They crucified Me for claiming that I was God. But I didn't claim I was God; I just claimed I walked with Him and that He was in Me. Hallelujah. That's what you're doing." (Kenneth Copeland, "Voice of Victory" Vol. 15, No. 2, 2/87)

Christ "had no innate supernatural powers. He had no ability to perform miracles until after He was anointed by the Holy Spirit." (Kenneth Copeland, "Question & Answer," Believer's Voice of Victory, August 1988, 8.)

Jesus supposedly "put Himself into the hands of Satan when He went to that cross, and took that same nature that Adam did [when he sinned]." (Kenneth Copeland, The Incarnation (Fort Worth: Kenneth Copeland Ministries, 1985, audiotape #01-0402), side 1.)

"... He (Jesus) was the first man to every be born from death to spiritual life ... if He hadn't been spiritually born
again, how in the world do you think you ever got it?..." (You need Internet Explorer to hear this file.  Go to this page, read the instructions, then click on "Jesus Was The First Born Again Man!").

Anthropology (Man) - Man Can Be A God

"You don't have a god in you, you are one." (Kenneth Copeland, "The Force Of Love" tape # 02-0028)

"I say this with all respect so that it don't upset you too bad, but I say it anyway. When I read in the Bible where he [Jesus] says, 'I Am,' I just smile and say, 'Yes, I Am, too!'" (Kenneth Copeland, "Believer's Voice of Victory" broadcast on TBN, recorded 7/9/87)

Soteriology (Salvation) - Jesus' Death On The Cross Did Not Pay For Our Sins

"It wasn't a physical death on the cross that paid the price for sin...anybody can do that." (Kenneth Copeland, What Satan Saw on the Day of Pentecost (Kenneth Copeland, Fort Worth: Messages by Kenneth Copeland, n.d., audiotape #BCC-19), side 1.)

Theology Proper (The Living God) - God Has A Body, Isn't In Control

God and Adam looked exactly alike. (Kenneth Copeland, The Authority of the Believer IV; Tape #01-0304)

"God is a being that stands somewhere around 6'2, 6'3" (Kenneth Copeland, "Following the Faith of Abraham" tape # 01-3001)

"God's on the outside looking in," says Copeland. "He doesn't have any legal entree into the earth. The thing don't belong to Him." (Kenneth Copeland, The Image of God in You III (Fort Worth: Kenneth Copeland Ministries, 1989, audiotape #01-1403), side 1.)

"lt's all a copy. If's a copy of home. It's a copy of the mother planet. Where God lives, He made a little one just like His and put us on it." (Kenneth Copeland, "Following the Faith of Abraham 1" (Kenneth Copeland Ministries, 1989, audio tape #01-3001, side 1)

Other - Heaven Is A Planet, Words Have Power

"Heaven has a north and a south and an east and a west. Consequently, it must be a planet." (Kenneth Copeland, "Spirit, Soul, and a Body 1" (Kenneth Copeland Ministries, 1985, audio tape #01-0601, side 1)

"Words create pictures, and pictures in your mind create words. And then the words come back out your mouth....And when that spiritual force comes out it is going to give substance to the image that's on the inside of you. Aw, that's that visualization stuff! Aw, that's that New Age! No, New Age is trying to do this; and they'd get somewhat results out of it because this is spiritual law, brother." (Kenneth Copeland, Believer's Voice of Victory (television program), TBN, 28 March 1991.)

Paul Yonggi Cho

Cho has the biggest church in the world in Korea.  He is touted as the person who "prophesied" that the Brownsville Revival would happen in Florida.  He speaks all over the world at Third Wave type conferences and has been an influence on many church leaders.  But Cho is a heretic by definition, and is not obeying the Lord Jesus Christ by teaching a mix of Buddhism and Christianity.

Christology (Christ) - Christ As A Fireman, Creating Christ With Our Words

Cho claims to have received his call to preach from Jesus Christ Himself, who supposedly appeared to him dressed like a fireman. (Dwight J. Wilson, "Cho, Paul Yonggi," Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, 161)

"You create the presence of Jesus with your mouth ... He is bound by your lips and by your words ... Remember that Christ is depending upon you and your spoken word to release His presence." (Paul Yonggi Cho, The Fourth Dimension, Volume One (So. Plainfield, NJ: Bridge Publishing, 1979), 83)

Other - Mixing Buddhism With Christianity

Cho is well aware of his link to occultism, arguing that if Buddhists and Yoga practitioners can accomplish their objectives through fourth dimensional powers, then Christians should be able to accomplish much more by using the same means. (Paul Yonggi Cho, The Fourth Dimension, vol. 1 (South Plainfield, NJ: Bridge Publishing, 1979), 37, 41)

Cho's concept of fourth-dimensional thinking is nothing short of occultism. In his best-selling book "The Fourth Dimension", Cho unveils his departure from historic Christian theology and his entry into the world of the occult. Cho lists four steps in his incubation formula: 1) Visualize a clear-cut goal or idea in your mind; 2) have a burning desire for your objective; 3) pray until you get the guarantee or assurance from God that what you desire is already yours; 4) speak or confess the end result into existence. (Hank Hanegraaff, Christianity in Crisis, 1993 citing Paul Yonggi Cho, The Fourth Dimension, Volume One (So. Plainfield, NJ: Bridge Publishing, 1979), 9-35; vol. 2, 18-33)

C. Peter Wagner

Wagner is responsible for probably the most programs ever brought to bear on Christendom, and his influence is felt in almost every corner of the Church.  He is the founder of the council on Church Growth at Fuller, and is the head "super apostle" of the International Coalition of Apostles, which includes just about every false teacher on the scene today.  No doubt he has done many good works, but his lack of obedience to the Word of God and the core doctrines is obvious.  All the sacrifices of the Third Wave New Apostolic Reformation are useless in the face of their disobedience to God and His Word.

Eschatology (Things To Come) - Dominionism

"The cultural mandate, which some refer to as Christian social responsibility goes as far back as the Garden of Eden. After God created Adam and Eve, He said to them: "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing... Both the cultural mandate and the evangelistic mandate are essential parts of biblical mission, in my opinion. Neither is optional. There is a growing consensus on this point in Evangelical circles. This was not true as early as twenty-two years ago when the Berlin World 'Congress on Evangelism was held in 1966. One of the first Evangelicals to stress the cultural mandate in a public forum was Horace Fenton of the Latin America Mission at the Wheaton Congress on the Church's Worldwide Mission, also held in 1966. Following that, the social consciousness generated by the social upheavals of the 1960's brought the cultural mandate to prominence until it was given a relatively high profile on the platform of the International Congress on World Evangelization at Lausanne in 1974." (C. Peter Wagner, "On the Cutting Edge of Mission Strategy," Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, A Reader, Revised Edition (Pasadena: William Carey Library, 1981,1992), pp. D-45-46.)

"As I have mentioned several times, the ultimate focus is world evangelization. Warfare prayer is not an end in itself, but a means of opening the way for the Kingdom of God to come, not only in evangelism, but also in social justice and material sufficiency." (C. Peter Wagner, Warefare Prayer excerpt, http://www.christian-faith.com/articles/citytaking-peterwagner.html)

Bibliology (Bible) - Modern Prophecy Is On The Same Level Of Authority As Scripture

"Pentecostal theologians have made the helpful suggestion of distinguishing the logos word of God from the rhema word of God.... The rhema is regarded as a more immediate word from God which we do not find in the 66 books of the Bible" (Engaging the Enemy, by C. Peter Wagner. (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1991), pp.15-16, http://www.wrs.edu/journals/jour298/engaging.html)

"Christianity began with 120 in the Upper Room, within three centuries it had become the predominant religion of the Roman Empire. What brought this about? The answer is deceptively simple, while Christianity was being presented to unbelievers in both Word and deed, it was the deed that far exceeded the Word in evangelistic effectiveness." (C. Peter Wagner, as cited in Charismatic Chaos - Part 5, Does God do Miracles Today?, Copyright 1991, by John F. MacArthur, Jr., http://www.biblebb.com/files/MAC/CHAOS6.HTM)

Satanology/Demonology (Our Adversary the Devil) - Man Can Bind Demons In The Heavenlies

In Confronting the Powers, C. Peter Wagner describes spiritual warfare as having three levels:  "Ground Level: Person-to-person, praying for each other's personal needs.  Occult Level: deals with demonic forces released through activities related to Satanism, witchcraft, astrology and many other forms of structured occultism. Strategic-Level or Cosmic-Level: To bind and bring down spiritual principalities and powers that rule over governments." (C. Peter Wagner, Confronting the Powers, pp.21-22)

“More than any place I know, the most prominent Christian leaders in Argentina, such as Omar Cabrerro and Carlos Annacondia, Hector Giminez and others, overtly challenge and curse Satan and his demonic forces both in private prayer and in public platforms. The nation as a whole is engaged in a world class power encounter.” (Engaging the Enemy C P. Wagner. Regal Books, p 4 6)

“I myself feel that God may be calling, equipping, and enabling a relatively small number of Christian leaders to move out in frontline, strategic-level spiritual warfare. And I also believe He is raising up large numbers of Christians to back up these people with moral support, intercession, encouragement, and material resources. God, I think, is in the process of choosing an expanding corps of spiritual green berets such as Eduardo Lorenzo, Cindy Jacobs, Larry Lea, Carlos Annacondia, John Dawson, Edgardo Silvoso or Dick Bernal, who will engage in the crucial high-level battles against the rulers of darkness and consequently see measurable increases in the numbers of lost people who “turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God.” (Acts 26:18) (Peter Wagner, “Warfare Prayer”, (Ventura, Ca.: Regal Books, 1992), pp. p. 58)

"The book ("Million People Target Areas") helping us to target our prayers for this initiative will contain maps of each of the nations with the location of each of the cities and Strategic Towns within the nation. Many home-based and church-based intercessors will pray specifically for these cities and towns, and it is hoped that prayer journey teams will visit each one of them for on site prayer." (["Praying Through The 10/40 Window IV: A Message From Peter Wagner" (http://www.ad2000.org/ptw4wag.htm, posted 07/21/99)]

"One of the more curious aspects of my pilgrimage into the field of spiritual warfare during the past few years has been the discovery that those who had been talking about it and doing it long before I even thought much about it did not agree among themselves about the nature of strongholds. They agreed that strongholds provide the forces of darkness a legal basis for doing their evil deeds both in individual people on the ground level and in cities and nations on the strategic level . . . . We have not been sure enough of what we are looking for exactly ..." (Confronting the Powers, Peter Wagner, pg. 237)

The Ends Justify The Means - Pragmatism

"... we ought to see clearly that the end DOES justify the means.  What else possible could justify the means?  If the method I am using accomplishes the goal I am aiming at, it is for that reason a good method.  If, on the other hand, my method is not accomplishing the goal, how can I be justified in continuing to use it?"  (C. Peter Wagner, "Your Church Can Grow - Seven Vital Signs Of A Healthy Church", 1976, pg. 137. - emphasis in original)

False Prophecy - Endorsed By Wagner

10 million Japanese will come to Christ by the year 2000; it helped to bring down the Berlin Wall and opened Albania to the gospel; it deposed dictator Manuel Noriega; it lowered the crime rate in Los Angeles and broke the power of demons over Japan (C. Peter Wagner, Breaking Strongholds in Your City, 1993, p.25, http://www.gospelcom.net/uplook/resources/just_the_facts/territorial_spirits.html)

New Foundational Apostles - The New Church Is Based On The New Apostles

In the brochure that I received, advertising C. Peter Wagner's conference in Brisbane, the following was written: "The New Apostolic Reformation is an extraordinary work of the Holy Spirit that is changing the shape of Christianity globally. It is truly a new day! The Church is changing. New names! New methods! New worship expressions! The Lord is establishing the foundations of the Church for the new millennium. This foundation is built upon apostles and prophets. Apostles execute and establish God's plan on the earth. The time to convene a conference of the different apostolic prophetic streams across this nation is now! This conference will cause the Body to understand God's 'new' order for this coming era. We look forward to having you with us in Brisbane in Feb 2000."  It was signed by Peter Wagner and Ben Gray. (Brochure For Brisbane 2000, as cited in Jumping On The Bandwagon - Australian Christian Churches Seduced by the Beat of a Different Drummer?, Hughie Seaborn, 1999, http://members.ozemail.com.au/~rseaborn/bandwagon.html)

C. Peter Wagner states “I believe that the government of the church is finally coming into place and that is what the Scripture teaches in Eph. 2, that the foundation of the church is apostles and prophets. Previous to this decade of the 80's and the 90's we practically ignored prophets and apostles and now we’re seeing, what I believe is a major reason.  We’re going to new levels in prayer. We’re going to new levels in the spiritual. We’re going to new levels in healing and miracles. We’re going to new levels in deliverance of demonic deliverance. And so this is the new era we are going into and I don't know if it is coincidental or what, but its just as we are moving into the new millennium.” (C. Peter Wagner, CBN interview Jan. 3, 2000)

Other - People Saved And Healed Before Preaching

C. Peter Wagner writes in contrast, "People often will be saved and healed in Cabrera's meetings before he starts preaching" (C. Peter Wagner, The Third Wave, page 99, http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/nbbi/vineyard.html)

Rick Warren

Warren is the current major influence in churches all over the world with his "purpose driven" pragmatic programs.  His programs are introducing churches to the Third Wave concepts of pragmatism and unbiblical methods like never before.  He has laudable goals to "solve" the problems of world hunger, education, disease and other issues.  But he is also unfaithful to God's Word and twists Scripture to try to make his unbiblical points.  The Lord will not accept all the dreams and schemes of someone like Warren unless they repent of their unbiblical teachings and turn back to orthodoxy.

Soteriology (Salvation) - Teaches Cultists And Other Religions How To Grow Their Numbers

Warren is part of the ultra-conservative Southern Baptist Convention, and all his senior staff sign on to the SBC's doctrines, such as the literal and infallible Bible and exclusion of women as senior pastors. Yet Warren's pastor-training programs welcome Catholics, Methodists, Mormons, Jews and ordained women. "I'm not going to get into a debate over the non-essentials. I won't try to change other denominations. Why be divisive?" he asks, citing as his model Billy Graham, "a statesman for Christ ministering across barriers." ("This evangelist has a 'Purpose'", by Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA TODAY,  7/21/2003, http://www.usatoday.com/life/2003-07-21-rick-warren_x.htm)

(DITC Comment:  How can someone who claims to be a biblical Christian teach "pastor-training" to Mormon cultists and to other religions like Catholics and Jews?  This constitutes an agreement with these groups that the essentials are not important, thus a denial of them all.  What are the essentials to Rick Warren?  Apparently nothing that already separates us from these groups.)

The message, which was titled "The Potential of a Single Life," was a witty, motivational challenge to single people to dedicate themselves to God. Rick Warren said, "You are as happy as you choose to be. You can waste your life on vanities, spend your life on yourself, and invest your life for God." Mother Teresa was used as an example, with no warning about her false gospel.  (http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/visit-saddlebackchurch.html)

(DITC Comment:  To laud Mother Teresa without mentioning her stand on the Gospel is a denial of the Gospel.  Here is what Mother Teresa thought of the Gospel: “I love all religions. ... If people become better Hindus, better Muslims, better Buddhists by our acts of love, then there is something else growing there.” She upheld that there are many ways to God': “All is God--Buddists, Hindus, Christians, etc., all have access to the same God.” (12/4/89 Time, pp. 11, 13) While we can agree to love all religions and people there is a vast difference in accepting them as valid. Mother Teresa told everyone no matter what their religion: “If in coming face to face with God we accept Him in our lives, then we are converting. We become a better Hindu, a better Muslim, a better Catholic, a better whatever we are. ... What God is in your mind you must accept” (from Mother Teresa: Her People and Her Work, by Desmond Doig, (Harper & Row, 1976), p.156))

Essentials - Action Is More Important Than Belief

Warren says, “The truth is this: Spiritual maturity is demonstrated more by behavior than beliefs.”  (The Purpose Driven Church, p. 336, http://www.thetribnet.org/Apostacy/recognizing_deception_and_apostasy_chapter_8.htm)

(DITC: According to the Bible both are important.  James says our faith will be evident by our actions.  But according to Heb. 5 and Eph. 4 the whole reason we are to become mature in the Faith is so that we will be able to distinguish between what is good and evil and not be blown about by every wind of doctrine.  Warren seems to be all about introducing new doctrines based on postmodern humanistic ideas, clearly evident in his books and methodology.)

Scripture Twisting - Claims We Can Solve Hunger, Disease

During the five weekends of November, we'll teach five messages on the P.E.A.C.E. plan: a strategy to have every small group in our church,  and then tens of thousands of small groups in other churches, become engaged in solving the five biggest problems in the world: Spiritual Lostness, Lack of Godly Leaders, Poverty,  Disease, and Lack of Education. (Rick Warren P.E.A.C.E. plan letter, http://www.saddleback.com/home/todaystory.asp?id=6213)

(DITC Note: The Bible NEVER states that problems like poverty and disease will be solved until Jesus Christ returns.  This is Dominionist theology in a clever deceptive package.)

New Apostolic Reformation - Endorses Books By NAR Dominionists

"I love this book ("An Unstopable Force" by Erwin Raphael Mcmanus) because Erwin loves the church. Growing churches requires growing leaders. This book will help you along the way." – Rick Warren, Lead Pastor, Saddleback Church, Author, The Purpose Driven Church, http://www.anunstoppableforce.com/warren.html, http://www.fuller.edu/cll/ce/Storage/events.html)

(DITC Note: Warren endorsed "An Unstopable Force" by Erwin Raphael Mcmanus. This book is Dominionist and Apostolic.  It promotes the idea that there are foundational Apostles today, which is impossible as no one meets the biblical criteria to be a foundational Apostle today.  The teachings of the foundational Apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20) are what the Church is built upon, Christ being the chief Cornerstone and Foundation (1 Cor. 3:10-11).  The Apostles were those who saw the Lord while He was on earth before he ascended into heaven (1 Cor. 9:1) and the Lord did true signs, wonders and miracles through them to authenticate their ministries (2 Cor. 12:12). They wrote Scriptures (Matthew, John, Peter, Paul, etc.). They were persecuted and all but one (John) were martyred for the Faith (1 Cor. 4:9 and the Pre Nicene Fathers writings). Finally, Paul said that he was the last, in sequence, of the original foundational Apostles (1 Cor. 15:7-8).  We are to use the Word of God, through Jesus Christ, taught to us by the Apostles and prophets, as the basis for our Christian life (2 Peter 3:2, Jude 17). There is no one today who can meet the biblical criteria to be a foundational Apostle.)

Hamartiology (Sin) - Downplays The Sin Nature

Every person, although endowed with the image of God, inherited a disobedient heart from Adam, the very first man. This attitude of disobedience (called sin in the Bible) – unless rectified through Christ – forever keeps man from forming a relationship with his Creator. (http://www.saddleback.com/flash/believe2.html)

(DITC: Does man simply have an attitude of disobedience, or is he entirely sinful?  This sounds like Semi-Pelegianism.)

The Pope

The Pope is well known for his philanthropic and social stands.  Many of his stands on issues of the day are the same positions many Christians would take on those issues.  But he is also a heretical, as well as the Roman Catholic Church.  Their doctrinal stand, as taught in their Catechism, deny at least three of the core doctrines of the Faith.  Lack of obedience to the Word Of God is grounds for judgment.

Christology (Christ) - Crucifies Christ Each Time In The Eucharist

Because it is the memorial of Christ’s Passover, the Eucharist is also a sacrifice. The sacrificial character of the Eucharist is manifested in the very words of institution: “This is my body which is given for you” and “This cup which is poured out for you is the New Covenant in my blood.” In the Eucharist Christ gives us the VERY body which he gave up for us on the cross, the VERY blood which he “poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Pope John Paul II, October 11, 1992, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Page 380)

The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice: “The victim is one and the SAME: the SAME now offers through the ministry of priest, who then offered himself on the cross; only the manner of offering is different.” “In this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the SAME Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross IS CONTAINED and offered in an unbloody manner.” (Pope John Paul II, October 11, 1992, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Page 381)

Soteriology (Salvation) - Baptism And Sacraments Added, Universalism

How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers? Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body: Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it. (Pope John Paul II, October 11, 1992, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Page 244)

The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day.” (Pope John Paul II, October 11, 1992, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Page 242-243)

By Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin. In those who have been reborn nothing remains that would impede their entry into the Kingdom of God, neither Adam’s sin, nor personal sin, nor the consequences of sin, the gravest of which is separation from God. (Pope John Paul II, October 11, 1992, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Page 353)

It is through the sacrament of Penance that the baptized can be reconciled with God and with the Church: “Penance has rightly been called by the holy Fathers ‘a laborious kind of baptism.’ This sacrament of Penance is necessary for salvation for those who have fallen after Baptism, just as Baptism is necessary for salvation for those who have not yet been reborn” (Pope John Paul II, October 11, 1992, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Page 278)

The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation. “Sacramental grace” is the grace of the Holy Spirit, given by Christ and proper to each sacrament. The Spirit heals and transforms those who receive him by conforming them to the Son of God. The fruit of the sacramental life is that the Spirit of adoption makes the faithful partakers in the divine nature by uniting them in a living union with the only Son, the Saviour. (Pope John Paul II, October 11, 1992, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Page 319)

Bibliology (Bible) - Tradition Has The Same Authority As Scripture

As a result the Church, to whom the transmission and interpretation of Revelation is entrusted, “does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy Scriptures alone. Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with EQUAL sentiments of devotion and reverence. (Pope John Paul II, October 11, 1992, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Page 31)

Hamartiology (Sin) - Indulgences Can Be Purchased For The Living And Dead

The doctrine and practice of indulgences in the Church are closely linked to the effects of the sacrament of Penance.  What is an indulgence? “An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.” “An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin.” Indulgences may be applied to the living or the dead. (Pope John Paul II, October 11, 1992, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Page 411)

An indulgence is obtained through the Church who, by virtue of the power of binding and loosing granted her by Christ Jesus, intervenes in favor of individual Christians and opens for them the treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints to obtain from the Father of mercies the remission of the punishments due for their sins. Thus the Church does not want simply to come to the aid of these Christians, but also to spur them to works of devotion, penance, and charity. (Pope John Paul II, October 11, 1992, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Page 413)

Since the faithful departed now being purified are also members of the same communion of saints, one way we can help them is to obtain indulgences for them, so that the temporal punishments due for their sins may be remitted. (Pope John Paul II, October 11, 1992, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Page 413)

Mary Worship - She Is Sinless, Queen Of Heaven, Eternal Virgin

“Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death.” The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son’s Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians. (Pope John Paul II, October 11, 1992, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Page 274)

Prayers For The Dead - People Can Pray Their Dead Out Of Purgatory

“In full consciousness of this communion of the whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the Church in its pilgrim members, from the very earliest days of the Christian religion, has honored with great respect the memory of the dead; and ‘because it is a holy and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins’ she offers her suffrages for them.” Our prayer for them is capable not only of helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective. (Pope John Paul II, October 11, 1992, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Page 272)

Paul Crouch

Crouch has the largest Christian TV network ever put together.  He is reaching most of the world with Christian TV programming.  But TBN is full of heresy, and is teaching heresy to the world.  Crouch may have conquered the world, but in the end he will lose his soul if he does not repent of heresy.

Anthropology (Man) - Man Can Be Gods

Christians are little gods. (Praise the Lord (TBN), recorded 7/7/86)

Soteriology (Salvation) - Salvation Based On Contributions

Paul Crouch said (on the TBN show "Praise The Lord" during their money-raising telethon) "if you have been healed or saved or blessed through TBN and have not contributed to (the) station, you are robbing God and will lose your reward in heaven." (Witnessed by Ed Tarkowski, e-mail Mon, 04 Aug 1997 20:34:13 -0600)

Theology Proper (The Living God) - Man Is Part Of The Godhead

God draws no distinction between Himself and us. God opens up the union of the very godhead (Trinity), and brings us into it. (Paul Crouch, Praise-a-thon (TBN), November 1990)

Cursing - Cursing Other Christians To Death

"God, we proclaim death to anything or anyone that will lift a hand against this network and this ministry that belongs to You, God. It is Your work, it is Your idea, it is Your property, it is Your airwaves, it is Your world, and we proclaim death to anything that would stand in the way of God's great voice of proclamation to the whole world. In the Name of Jesus, and all the people said Amen!" (Paul Crouch, TBN, 11/7/97)

"I think God's given up on a lot of that old rotten Sanhedrin religious crowd, twice dead, plucked up by the roots. I think they're damned and on their way to hell and I don't think there's any redemption for them...the heresy hunters that want to find a little mote of illegal doctrine in some Christian's eye and pluck that little mote out of their eye when they've got the whole forest in their own lives and in their own eyes. I say to hell with you! Oh hallelujah. Get out of God's way, quit blocking God's bridges or God's gonna shoot you if I don't!  I refuse to argue any longer with any of you out there. Don't even call me. If you want to argue doctrine, if you want to straighten out somebody over here, if you want to criticize Ken Copeland for his preaching on faith, or Dad Hagin. Get out of my life! I don't even want to talk to you or hear you. I don't want to see your ugly face! Get out of my face in Jesus' name." (Paul Crouch, "Praise-a-thon" broadcast on TBN, recorded 4/2/91)

Rodney Howard-Browne

Howard-Browne is credited with laying hands on the leadership of both Toronto Blessing and Brownsville Revival, along with Benny Hinn.  He is the one who popularized the heretical Latter Rain practice of "slain in the spirit" and "drunk in the spirit".  But Howard-Browne is a blasphemous heretic.  His lack of obedience to the Lord will land him in hell if he does not repent of his heresy.

Pneumatology (Holy Spirit) - Spirit Causes Drunkeness, Denial Of His Deity And Personality

Rodney Howard-Browne said "Take another drink...the bar is open....Be filled! We loose the power! Have another drink!" (Ed Tarkowski quoting Howard-Browne, 1994)

Rodney Howard-Browne said "Drink and get drunk on the "new wine of the Spirit."" (The Toronto Curse, Sydney Allen Hunter, 1996)

"It felt like my fingertips came off. I felt a full volume of the anointing flow out of my hand. The only way I can explain it is to liken it to a fireman holding a fire hose with a full volume of water flowing out of it. The anointing went right into her. It looked like someone had hit her in the head with an invisible baseball bat and she fell to the floor." (Rodney Howard-Browne, Touch Of God, 76)

"I'm just the Holy Ghost bartender," he informed us. "I just serve the new wine and tell them to come drink." ("An Evening with Rodney Howard-Browne" (from the Newswatch column of the Christian Research Journal, Winter 1995, page 43) by Julia Duin)

Howard-Browne then began pumping us up to do just that. He led us in a song with these words: "I am drunk, I am drunk. Every day of my life I am drunk. I've been drinking down at Joel's place every night and every day. I am drunk on the new wine." Then he asked us all to lift our hands and "let that river of joy come out of your belly." ("An Evening with Rodney Howard-Browne" (from the Newswatch column of the Christian Research Journal, Winter 1995, page 43) by Julia Duin)

Satanology/Demonology (Our Adversary the Devil) - The Devil And Hell Downplayed

"I'd rather be in a church where the devil and the flesh are manifesting than in a church where nothing is happening because people are too afraid to manifest anything... and if the devil manifests, don't worry about that, either. Rejoice, because at least something is happening." (Rodney Howard-Browne, The Coming Revival. 1991, p.6)

"'One night I was preaching on hell,' Howard-Browne says, 'and [laughter] just hit the whole place. The more I told people what hell was like, the more they laughed'" (Rodney Howard-Browne, Charisma, August 1994, pg. 24).

Theology Proper (The Living God) - Testing God

Rodney Howard-Browne said "'Either You come down here and touch me, or I will come up there and touch You" (The prayer Howard-browne prayed before he got the "anointing") (Holy Laughter, Albert James Dager, 1996)

Prayer - Don't Pray

Rodney Howard-Browne said "Stop praying now and let the joy bubble out your belly. Joy. Joy. Joy. Don't pray! Laugh!" (Holy Laughter, Albert James Dager, 1996)

Revival Can Be Planned - Not Soveriegn Move Of God

"... We've been taught that revival is sovereign, it's a sovereign move of God.  Que sera sera, whatever will be
will be, the future's not mine to see, the Doris Day doctrine.  If God wants revival He'll do it, and we just wondering if we'll just keep having srvices until one day He comes ... revival is something that can be planned, revival is something that can be scheduled ..." (You need Internet Explorer to hear this file.  Go to this page, read the instructions, then click on  "Revival Can Be Planned!").

Conclusion

I could go on and on with examples of almost every preacher on TBN, CBN, and many figures from other religions.  I could also bring you quotes in almost every area of doctrine where they are teaching against what the Bible teaches.  For more quotes by Third Wavers, go here.  But you get the point.  These are all "nice" people who have done some very good works.  But their works will not gain them admittance to heaven.  God seeks obedience.  Many of these people, including those I have mentioned, will no doubt face the Lord someday in judgment and claim the following:

Matt. 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’